Hidden Patterns | Kpop Demon Hunters x Reader

[ 31 ] selfish advances

Ugh. You're nervous.

No matter how much you try to calm your breathing or steady your racing thoughts, the feeling of unease refuses to leave you. It coils tight in your stomach, pulsing with every step you take. You keep telling yourself that the odds of someone recognizing you—while your face is partially obscured—are astronomically low. And yet... you can't shake the feeling that the world is watching.

Every passerby feels like a potential pair of eyes ready to expose you. Every accidental brush of a shoulder feels like an omen. You fear getting caught up in a dating scandal before your idol career even properly begins. The sheer thought of it makes your chest feel tight.

If you had a choice, you wouldn't even be here in the first place. But of course, you don't. You've been forced into this. Into this—a date you didn't ask for, didn't want, and certainly didn't need.

All because of him.

All because of that annoying, bratty, insufferably persistent demon known as Baby.

He's the kind of person who, if denied what he wants, will do everything in his power to make your life miserable. He made that perfectly clear when he threatened to reveal your secret to Rumi and the others—something you absolutely cannot allow to happen.

You're so close to your official debut. So close to your first performance, to everything you've been working towards. You can't afford to lose that now.

So, fine. You'll deal with this. You'll handle one measly date. One.

You can endure it, just as you've endured far worse.

Now, if he ever dares to ask for another one beyond this... well. Honestly, you don't even want to think about that right now.

For now, you'll just have to take things one day at a time.

"This is so exciting," Baby grins, walking beside you with the kind of giddy energy that could light up a city. "We're finally on a date."

You roll your eyes. He says finally like this was something long overdue—like this moment was destiny rather than manipulation. The irony isn't lost on you. It's almost laughable, really, considering that he wanted to kill you when you first met. He's had a total shift in attitude since then.

But then again, it's not entirely without reason. You did save his life all those years ago. That event chained him to you, without you even realizing it until just recently. Gratitude, obsession, devotion—they've all blurred together into something volatile, unpredictable.

If nothing else, this is technically your first real date. It's a new experience. Something you never really dared to hope for, but you can't deny that you might have briefly imagined it could feel thrilling or even romantic. It would've been nice if you hadn't been forced into it, but you're well past the point of wishful thinking now.

Some time has passed since you first left your apartment with Baby. The two of you traveled quite a distance to escape the bustle of the city. The crowds there were far too dangerous. Too many phones, too many faces, too many chances for a rumor to be born.

Instead, you chose somewhere quiet. Somewhere you could breathe.

So, here you are now. Hiking. Well, kind of. You're walking through a forest trail, soft with the scent of damp earth and moss. Tall trees stretch towards the sky, their leaves shaking in the breeze. Sunlight breaks through the canopy in patches, warm on your skin, and the air still holds a faint aftertaste of last night's rain.

It's peaceful. More importantly, there aren't many people around, and that fact alone soothes the frantic rhythm of your heart.

"We should hold hands, nuna," Baby suddenly blurts, his voice breaking through your thoughts.